Louisiana Books

Although the world of poetry certainly has more than its share of nature-praising verse, Alison Hawthorne Deming has thrown another log on the fire with her poetry sequence The Monarchs. A native of Connecticut who now lives in Arizona, she views the wild nature of the Southwest with the wisdom and appreciation of a former New England city liver. So what does Deming offer as one more in a sea of nature lovers? Undoubtedly, one thing is what Scott Slovic calls Deming's "abiding fascination with natural science." The colorful imagery and unique metaphors of Deming's semi-scientific verse paint a more stirring picture than any emotional commentary could. In Writing the Sacred into the Real, Deming says, "What science-bashers fail to appreciate is that scientists, in their unflagging attraction to the unknown, love what they don't know. It guides and motivates their work; it keeps them up late at night; and it makes that work poetic."
Deming herself studies the human race in a similar way, approaching with compassion its mistakes and absurdities. While, on the one hand, the activities of people and the creatures of the natural world mirror one another, Deming's Nature sometimes chances by as a separate entity, transcending human struggles; like the Monarchs flying over the fearful townspeople in poem 4, Nature goes diligently about its business, oblivious to both our fear and fascination.
A refreshing honesty underlies Deming's poetry: she is unwilling to glorify the elements of humanity that are popularly glorified, such as common perceptions of love, which she boldly declares a result of "misunderstandings" in poem 16. She also refuses to attribute an unrealistic intelligence to the nobility of Nature; instead she laments, as in poem 24, the intellect that often spoils human living:
Unlike animals that respond
more impulsively to a stimulus,
our continual adjustment of
internal to external relations
opens the way for postponing
action, deliberating, reflection -
a new quality of mind evolving,
which, quite naturally, feels
confused by its urgencies,
because the ancient part
wants to act and the newer part
insists on imagining action.
Deming is not a cynic however. While she periodically equates love with untruth, she acknowledges in poem 23 that "to love is all there is / to separate us from tyrants, from the dark." Moreover, her sporadic references to dreaming make a gracious allowance for human frailty. From the would-be rapist in poem 2 to the child in poem 8 trying to dig to China, the human race engages in moments of absurd dreaming. Our dreams make us as precious or pitiable as the Monarch babies of poem 9 that "awake in a little park / surrounded by ruined cities, / not a doubt in their minuscule / minds that blooming fields await them."
The Monarchs is a contemplative study of the human race and the natural world of which it is both apart and separate. Through thought provoking insights and colorful imagery, readers of this volume will agree that Deming has met her own challenge to "make a thing out of this chaos, a thing / that will last."

Whether you are a politician, political wonk, and student or just interested in the election process for our country, this book is required reading! Rod Smith's approach is surprising and shows that our democracy could be in trouble because of the recent reforms for campaign financing. The data he presents clearly shows the "power of the incumbency". He also demonstrates and explains how people of means have greater access to being involved while the average citizen gets priced out of the election process.

I have run for public office and can attest to the fact that "richer" opponents can simply dig into deeper personal pockets and buy media time and signs, hire staff and sponsor activities that other candidates just cannot afford. The person of means can simply write a personal check. Most candidates are limited by law as to how much may be contributed by an individual or corporation. In the end, this translates into only the wealthy being able to run. It is a concern to those of us who value liberty and the right to run for public office.

Ron Smith is a highly regarded poet whose voice is both muscular and tender. The work is this new collection range from his poignant recollections of a southern boyhood to his odyssey in the Mediterranean isles in the later years of his life. Not to be missed.

As a scholar of folkltales, it was a pleasure to find this lovely book included in the 2004 list of Notable Social Studies Books for Young People. The author has sensitively documented a Louisiana Native American creation story with spare and well-chosen language. Her use of image-filled repetition creates the relentless power of the storm brilliantly. As in most folktales, she keeps the focus on how the characters solve the problem before them thus emphasizing the Native American's relationship with the natural world. I look forward to more books by Rose Anne St. Romain.

I am well pleased with the book. It arrived on time and in good condition.
Bonnie Cadwell

I was stunned by the beauty of this book-- both its words and the pictures. It evokes a time and place that should not be forgotten.

My grandmother and mother were great cooks but the children were never allowed in the kitchen, until all stoves were cooled down and knives cleaned and put away. Imagine when I got married and didn't have a clue...My first attempt at cooking red beans ended when I was using a potato masher on the beans,(after an hour),to make them thicken some?
Well the rice was even worse, and butter didn't help at all. I couldn't get in touch with my mom and my mother-in-law could only laugh hysterically.
Somewhere I found the "Mrs Simms Fun Cooking Guide". ('68 version...in '74). "BLUSHING RICE"...perfect first time...and still is 33 years later. "ROASTBEEF SUPREME"...every Sunday, and guess what? My mom askes every time, "How do you make this?" (I'm not telling, it's the mustard).
Raising and feeding nine children and having numerous dinner parties, I have never gone wrong as long as my dishes come from this incredible, yet simple cookbook. So easy... so delicious. Always. No matter how low key or high falutin', it is always a winning dish, whatever you choose to serve. JUST STICK TO "THE" RECIPE MRS SIMMS WROTE. Don't add tobasco, or Tony's to the pot,(add it to yours if you wish). Don't tamper with perfection.
MY original book is so very worn, mostly pages 31 (Roast Beef Supreme....drool, and the gravy, oh..) pg. 32 (who would know what Swiss Steak,out of round steak, could possibly end up like this?), pg. 34 (Chicken Okra Gumbo, need I say more?), pg.47(Smothered Ham and Cabbage, if you hated cabbage, you won't anymore ), pg. 38 (Smothered Pork Chops)...omg!, and thank God for mrs Simms' Blushing Rice to go with it, page 72 in the '68 book....
For me it all started with my simple question of "How do I cook rice?". And I have tested and tasted it MANY ways. The only way, in my opinion, is the Blushing Way, Mrs Simms Way....
I hit this site looking for originals, or new, for my children...(9)...
I plan on keeping my original.
Lisa Harper-Cairns New Orleans,LA

This is a book which once read, will never be forgotten. It is a close up view of American history at a time when our country was in turmoil. But be prepared for truth, because Pires does not flinch from showing all sides of the conflict with all their warts plainly visible.

My Wars: Nazis, Mobsters, Gambling & Corruption is the true-life story of World War II veteran turned incorruptible reformer of Superintendent of State Police in Louisiana, Colonel Francis C. Grevemberg. A hero in the war abroad, he found himself embroiled in just as deadly a war at home, for at the time of his enstatement the Mafia had corrupted Louisiana's government. Marked for death, with his family subject to the threat of kidnapping, he fought to take back his state from the criminal world. My Wars recounts the harrowing struggles, setbacks, and triumphs; from the frustration of watching politicians free convicted criminals in exchange for large bribes to standing fast against threat of personal harm to even contesting other people's attempts to take credit for the reforms he struggled to enact. A number of black-and-white photographs and transcripts of primary sources enhance this incredible story of one man's striking contribution to make Louisiana a better state. Nor is the war over; My Wars warns the reader of the ills that still haunt Louisiana, with gambling and its legalized thievery of the working poor's wages at the top of the list. Highly recommended.

I picked this book up thinking I would read far enough to be sure I didn't want to read it. :) Instead, I was riveted. Written in 1896 by a white man deeply committed to Abolition, it is the tale of Dan, a plantation slave who is treated far better than most slaves.

At age 7, Dan is given to the plantation owner's son as a gift, and the two boys carry on through life deeply committed to each other. The book is written in a surprisingly modern style, without the dense narrative so common at that time. Dan is in a hard position--he is allowed to study with his young master, and to better himself. He has a keen mind and is sharper than most of those who own and control him=--yet he remains a slave. At the same time, the field slaves bitterly resent his favored position, and they are eager to see, and even cause, his downfall.

As one reads, one guesses why Dan is so well treated by the plantation owner (not hard to guess, looking back from our era.) The book beautifully depicts the times and the stresses of the era felt by people who truly wanted to be honorable but who did, after all, live in their own time period with their own prejudices and blindnesses. One character in the book sees past the biases of the day and is surprisingly modern and compassionate in his outlook. Interesting--this character (Clem) must reflect the author's own enlightened viewpoint.

One small aspect of the book that interested me was the very high stress laid on oratory at that time. Dan's young master studies to be a lawyer, which, apparently, was largely a matter of being a great orator. That makes sense--after all that time was largely pre-media, and one speech (such as the Gettysburg Address) could have a vast influence before the days of media "spin." Where are the great orators today? :) It was fun to "discover" a new book over 100 years old. I usually read fiction then pitch the copy, but this book I will keep and reread. Plenty to think about here for Civil War buffs.